What is sense restraint?

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
Jack19990101
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by Jack19990101 »

It is a two steps process -

To guard the urge for pleasure from leaking into speech & action.
This requires will power & decision.

Once step one is mastered, we have to erode the urge for pleasure.
Urge can't be cut off by will or by constantly avoiding it.
Urge is kamma vipaka, it will arise on its own device. It comes with its little lifespan & force.
It requires repetitively endurance through it, it requires seeing through its nature of stressful fluctuation & anatta. Once this matures, the specific urge will cease and won't rise ever again.
Then it is safe to walk around, no fear to be caught by it.
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mjaviem
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by mjaviem »

It is restraint of the senses. This means renunciation. And renunciation is like this
SN 14.12 Sujato wrote:...
Thoughts of renunciation, good will, and harmlessness arise for a reason, not without reason.

And how do thoughts of renunciation, good will, and harmlessness arise for a reason, not without reason? The element of renunciation gives rise to perceptions of renunciation. Perceptions of renunciation give rise to thoughts of renunciation. Thoughts of renunciation give rise to enthusiasm for renunciation. Enthusiasm for renunciation gives rise to fervor for renunciation. Fervor for renunciation gives rise to the search for renunciation. An educated noble disciple on a search for renunciation behaves well in three ways: by body, speech, and mind.

The element of good will gives rise...
And like this
Akashad wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 5:09 am ... I also tend to keep my gaze down and dont lift my eyes up...
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa
thepea
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by thepea »

SarathW wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:29 am What is sense restraint?
Is it suppressing five hindrances? Ie restraint citta Sankhara.
Is it garding five senses ie restraint Kaya Sankharaand Vaci Sankhara? Ie observe five precepts and eight precepts.
Stress.
SarathW
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by SarathW »

thepea wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:04 pm
SarathW wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:29 am What is sense restraint?
Is it suppressing five hindrances? Ie restraint citta Sankhara.
Is it garding five senses ie restraint Kaya Sankharaand Vaci Sankhara? Ie observe five precepts and eight precepts.
Stress.
Do not slander Buddha.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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cappuccino
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by cappuccino »

SarathW wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:29 am What is sense restraint?
Don’t try to enjoy


Like it’s without taste
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cappuccino
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by cappuccino »

:coffee:
Spiny Norman
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by Spiny Norman »

form wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 11:57 am For example, a picture of a sexy woman, then test your sense guarding ability. A meditative person will has a fast response to guarding. A normal person will fall into it. A meditative person will be fast to detect a "poison" of the five senses and "stay a distance from it", this is also guarding
So with that example, sense-guarding is not continuing to look at the picture?
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form
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by form »

Spiny Norman wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 5:39 am
form wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 11:57 am For example, a picture of a sexy woman, then test your sense guarding ability. A meditative person will has a fast response to guarding. A normal person will fall into it. A meditative person will be fast to detect a "poison" of the five senses and "stay a distance from it", this is also guarding
So with that example, sense-guarding is not continuing to look at the picture?
Theoretically from dhamma is pleasure, danger, escape. See it, detect the danger and know the consequences and make a choice. Probably not purposely seeking it out, but more like when you happen to encounter.

Also related, in the thorns of the Jhanas, “For one guarding the sense doors, watching a show is a thorn." This happens when we watched too much TV. It is hard to guard when the stimulus are too excessive and when certain stimulus are very tempting. In such, spending quiet time alone in a quiet place for some time during a day will be beneficial to increase the "immunity".
thepea
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by thepea »

SarathW wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 4:48 am
thepea wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:04 pm
SarathW wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:29 am What is sense restraint?
Is it suppressing five hindrances? Ie restraint citta Sankhara.
Is it garding five senses ie restraint Kaya Sankharaand Vaci Sankhara? Ie observe five precepts and eight precepts.
Stress.
Do not slander Buddha.
Is Buddha concerned of reputation?
SarathW
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by SarathW »

thepea wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 12:57 pm
SarathW wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 4:48 am
thepea wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:04 pm

Stress.
Do not slander Buddha.
Is Buddha concerned of reputation?
This affects your reputation, not Buddhas!
:sage:
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
asahi
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by asahi »

Sense restraint in plain is being all alert guarding the sense doors to not let intruders coming in . Goal keeper is the word .
No bashing No gossiping
thepea
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by thepea »

SarathW wrote: Sun Jun 26, 2022 1:49 am
thepea wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 12:57 pm
SarathW wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 4:48 am

Do not slander Buddha.
Is Buddha concerned of reputation?
This affects your reputation, not Buddhas!
:sage:
You accused me of slandering Buddha. I simply asked you if Buddha is concerned about reputation?
I simply answers your question.
It is stress.
You can agree or disagree with my answer but this is not slander, and if you think it is, qualify your statement.
Otherwise it’s incorrect speech.
PeterC86
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by PeterC86 »

SarathW wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:29 am What is sense restraint?
Is it suppressing five hindrances? Ie restraint citta Sankhara.
Is it garding five senses ie restraint Kaya Sankharaand Vaci Sankhara? Ie observe five precepts and eight precepts.
From the book Concept & Reality by monk Kaṭukurunde Ñāṇananda, on pag. 29. Found here; https://seeingthroughthenet.net/books/

"Then, Bâhiya, thus must you train yourself: 'In the seen
there will be just the seen; in the heard, just the heard; in the
sensed, just the sensed; in the cognized, just the cognized. That
is how, O Bâhiya, you must train yourself. Now, when, Bâhiya,
in the seen there will be to you just the seen, in the heard ..... just
the cognized, then Bâhiya, you will have no 'thereby': when you
have no 'thereby,' then Bâhiya, you will have no 'therein'; as
you, Bâhiya, will have no 'therein' it follows that you will have
no 'here' or 'beyond', or 'midway-between'. That is just the end
of I."
—M. A. P. C 10.
The first part of the exhortation presents succinctly the sum-total of
sense - restraint, while the latter part interprets the philosophy
behind it. This sense-restraint consists in 'stopping-short', at the level
of sense-data without being led astray by them. He who succeeds in
this, has truly comprehended the nature of sense-data so that he no
longer thinks in terms of them ('na tena' =no 'thereby', 'na tattha' =
no 'therein'). He has thus transcended the superstitions of the
grammatical structure as also the verbal dichotomy (nev' idha, na
hura§, na ubhayamantarena = 'neither here nor beyond nor midway
between'). In short, he has attained the Goal. As for Bâhiya, he did
attain the Goal, and that almost instantaneously, since he had
developed his spiritual faculties to such an extent in his own religious
system, that—we are told in the Sutta - he even entertained the
illusion of being an arahant before he came to the Buddha.
The consummation of the training in sense restraint, therefore,
consists in the ability to refrain from 'thinking in terms of' (maññanâ)
the data of sensory experience. The chimerical and elusive nature of.
sense data is such that as soon as one thinks in terms of them, one is
estranged from reality.


Relevant suttas; https://accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn ... .than.html, and https://accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn ... .than.html
thepea
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by thepea »

Edit: I had already responded to Sarath.
Last edited by thepea on Tue Jun 28, 2022 1:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
SarathW
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by SarathW »

Thank you Peter.
It appears that sense-restraint is practiced on many different levels from the layperson to the Arahant.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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